No Jump in Cannabis-Impaired Driving after Legalization: Police

Canadian police have not seen a spike in cannabis-impaired driving in the month since legalization. But there needs to be more awareness of laws about storing marijuana in vehicles and passengers smoking, law enforcement officials say.

The Canadian Press canvassed police forces and provincial and territorial Crown prosecutors across the country and while some said it was too early to provide data, others said initial numbers and anecdotal impressions suggest stoned driving isn’t on the rise.

…

Kyla Lee, a Vancouver-based lawyer who wants to file a court challenge of the Drager test once it’s used on a driver who wishes to dispute it, said she hadn’t heard of it being used anywhere yet.

She said she’s impressed so far with the police approach to enforcement, particularly in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

“I was worried when the law changed … that this sort of panic around cannabis-impaired driving was going to lead to a number of false arrests and bad investigations. That’s not what I’ve been seeing,” she said.